Canada Lineup Projected For World Juniors 2025: Forward Lines, D Pairings – FloHockey

Canada is looking to make the most of home ice as they play host to the rest of the world in Ottawa at the 2025 IIHF World Junior Championship. The home team will be among the favorites, looking to improve on a disappointing quarterfinal exit in 2024.

They’ll certainly have the star power to have a chance with a mix of higher-end veteran players and elite youngsters. 

Each day, FloHockey will be providing roster projections for each game. These are just projections, based on the latest information we have. Once we have official lineups for each game, we will update this post with the official lineup. That usually comes about an hour before each game.

One interesting wrinkle to this year’s tournament is that there is more roster flexibility than ever before. Teams can carry 25 players, 22 skaters and three goalies. They can dress 20 players and two goalies in any game, meaning there will always be three players scratched, for teams that are carrying the maximum 25 rostered players. Canada is carrying 25. So there will be some healthy scratches at times.  

Today’s lineup comes after the report from TSN’s Mark Masters, sharing lines from Canada’s final practice before the tournament begins. 

Canada Lineup Projection Vs. Finland On Dec. 26

* – This is only a lineup projection. It is not official until at least one hour prior to puck drop. When the official lineup is released by the IIHF, this will be updated to reflect the final lineup.

Forward Lines

Bradly Nadeau (CAR) – Calum Ritchie (COL) – Easton Cowan (TOR)

Gavin McKenna (2026) – Berkly Catton (SEA) – Luca Pinelli (CBJ)

Tanner Howe (PIT) – Brayden Yager (WPG) – Porter Martone (2025)

Cole Beaudoin (UTA) – Jett Luchanko (PHI) – Ethan Gauthier (TBL)

Carson Rehkopf (SEA) (OR Mathieu Cataford)

Defense Pairings

Tanner Molendyk (NSH) – Andrew Gibson (NSH)

Matthew Schaefer (2025) – Oliver Bonk (PHI)

Sam Dickinson (SJS) – Sawyer Mynio (VAN)

Caden Price (SEA) (OR Beau Akey)

Goalies

Carter George (LAK)

Carson Bjarnason (PHI) (OR Jack Ivankovic)

Projected Scratches: Mathieu Cataford (VGK), Beau Akey (EDM), Jack Ivankovic (2025)

Team Canada World Junior Championship Schedule

Thurs., Dec. 26

• Canada vs. Finland, 5:30 p.m. ET

Fri., Dec. 27

• Canada vs. Switzerland, 11:00 a.m. ET

Sun., Dec. 29

• Canada vs. Germany, 5:30 p.m. ET

Tues., Dec. 31

• Canada vs. USA, 6:00 p.m. ET

Thurs., Jan. 2

• Quarterfinal & Relegation Games, Times TBD

Sat., Jan. 4

• Semifinal Games, Times TBD

Sun., Jan. 5

• Bronze Medal Game, Time TBD
• Gold Medal Game, Time TBD

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